Legendary golfer Jack Nicklaus doesn’t hide his excitement about his golf course, the Muirfield Village Golf Club, playing host to the Presidents Cup on Oct. 1-6.

 

“The Presidents Cup is becoming one of the greatest events in golf,” Nicklaus said in a press release. “I know The Presidents Cup we had in South Africa was just sensational. I still say to this day it was the greatest event I've ever been involved in.”

 

Nicklaus’ involvement with the Presidents Cup is the subject of an exhibit at the Jack Nicklaus Museum, located at 2355 Olentangy River Rd. The exhibit displays memorabilia from Nicklaus’ four stints as captain of the American team as well as other items from the Presidents Cup.

 

“Nicklaus has always talked about what a great honor it is to play for your country,” museum curator Steve Auch said. “While the Ryder Cup is still the top international event, the Presidents Cup has gained a lot of stature. While it may not be as intense as the Ryder’s Cup, it mirrors the event in many ways.”

 

The Presidents Cup has a similar format to The Ryder Cup, which pits the top U.S. golfers against the top golfers of Europe. The Presidents Cup has the top 10 golfers from the United States competing against the top golfers outside of Europe.

 

Nicklaus guided the Americans to victories in 2005 and 2007, a tie in 2003 and a loss in 1998. The exhibit, a joint effort from the Muirfield Village Golf Club, the Professional Golfers Association and The Ohio State University, features two golf bags signed by the U.S. and the International teams after the 2011 tournament as well as money clips from past tournaments.

Other items on display include Nicklaus’ Presidents Cup jacket and medals that were presented to the winning teams.

 

“One of the items I found the most interesting was the captain’s clipboard which shows Nicklaus’ notes from the 1998 event,” Auch said. “It shows all the pairings and his notes on the courses.”

 

The exhibit is part of a 2,000-piece display at the Nicklaus Museum. The museum traces Nicklaus’ life from his beginning in Upper Arlington and his days with Ohio State through his tournament success. The museum also helps visitors discover the history of the game with rooms dedicated to the Master’s, the U.S. Open, the PGA championship and the British Open as well as the Memorial tournament.

 

Fred Couples, who will captain the U.S. team with Webb Simpson and Jordan Spieth, knows all about Nicklaus’ involvement with the tournament. When he was asked who he wanted to serve as co-captains at a pre-tournament function at Muirfield Village, Couples immediately asked “Can I get Jack Nicklaus?”

 

"I wasn't joking," Couples told the Associated Press “A couple of guys from the Tour said, `Yeah, he would love that.' And then a couple other guys -- maybe one pretty high up there -- said, `He's hosting the thing, he can't do that.'

 

"Then Jack winked at me and said, `But I can be in your team room all you want.’"

 

Museum hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for students.